Hurt and Healing and Brotherhood
by Clickydowiz
Summary: When Stevie has a severe medical event Malcolm looses face with his Brothers and they help him face his fear.
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical breakfast at the Wilkerson home the small kitchen table covered in dishes and food. Lois grabbing more juice and adding a little water to stretch it "just a little." Dewey and Reese were fighting over the last pancake and Hal was reading the news paper completely unphased by the caous around him. The phone rang Lois grabbed it. "What!" she answered annoyedly, "Oh," her voiced softened she stepped around the corner to the living room, "Oh Kitty, oh I'll tell Malcolm." Without saying good buy she clicked the phone off and returned to the kitchen. Dewey, very perceptive of the things around him asked, "Who was it?" Brushing him off Lois's expression of shock returned to normal, "Boys go upstairs and brush your teeth I'm giving you a ride to school today." The three boys rushed up from their chairs noisily, pushing and bumping their way out of the room. "Malcolm." Lois beckoned. Malcolm turned around expecting to be reamed for not clearing his plate or pushing to hard or some other typical annoyence of his parents. Instead his mothers caring body language and soft tone made him come closer in curiosity. "Malcolm that was Kitty, Stevie stopped breathing in the night." The thoughts raced through Malcolms head his expression of horror and worry fell over his face. "He was wearing his monitor so Abe and Kitty got to him in time. If you want to go to the hospital to see him today you can miss school."

_It must be pretty bad for Mom to let me miss school, I always know something bad can happen to Stevie but when it actually does…_

"Malcolm?" Lois voiced with concern when her son had spaced out.

"Yeah um, I'll just see him after school. He's fine though right, Stevie is always fine." He ranted.

"Malcolm I…"

Malcolm just went up to his room cutting his mother off mid sentence. Hal who was in the kitchen looked worriedly at his wife, "Are Abe and Kitty at the hospital?" Lois reassuredly shook her head. "I'm just glad we have four healthy kids, I mean they are a little head strong sometimes but, all healthy." He lovingly looked at his wife.

The boys all piled into the car. Pushing and butting and flicking and shouting. Reese spoke up first. "Why is she driving us, why is she being nice?"

"Yeah who died?" Dewey chimed in. Malcolm couldn't take it, it was a pressure on his heart, a heavy worry he couldn't hold in.

"Stevie, okay she feels bad about Stevie!" He burst.

The brothers looked shocked, Reese who had battled for the front seat turned around to look at his brother who was apparently upset. Not being very tactful he asked "What happened to Stevie?"

"I don't really know he just, stopped breathing, he's in the hospital, his parents got to him in time."

Reese turned around and faced foreword. He knew his brother was hurting and it must have been a lot to loose face in front of them. Lois opened the door and Reese looked timidly over at her. The car ride was quiet, extremely abnormal for them. When she pulled up to the curb. Dewey and Reese immediately bailed to make things less awkward for their brother. Malcolm knew it and appreciated it but still felt so worried and sad about Stevie. As the van door slid open Lois turned to speak to her son, "Malcolm we can drive to the hospital if you want."

He wanted to desprately he wanted to but he just took a breath "Mom, Stevie sick, I get it Stevie is always sick, Its not like he is dead and its not like he hasn't been at the hospital three times already this year and its not like I can help and its not like… by this time his voice was cracking terribly and it had gone up at least two octaves… I mean oxygen loss can cause brain damage, but, he doesn't have brain damage does he Mom?"

Lois's shocked and concerned expression preceded her response, "Kitty didn't say."

Malcolm hopped out of the car, and headed to class. His teacher announced roll. "Dabney, Lloid, Jessica, Malcolm, Kevin." Knowingly she skipped right past Stevie's name.

_Stevie's parents must have called the school._

It was hard to focus all day, Malcolm waited for lunch to come around when he would take his seat at the usually Krellborn table and tell everyone about Stevie. _Ring _the lunch bell sounded and as all the other classrooms had kids running out the Krellborns all looked up from their books and got up to regretfully walk out to their daily torture and torment yard.

"Malcolm where's Stevie? Did he die?" Dabney asked. This comment set all the Kerellborns into a panic, Malcolm hit his fist on the table. "Stevie is not dead, he just stopped breathing and hes in the hospital and hes fine!" Malcolm stormed off. Leaving the safe zone of the designated Krellllborn table into the jungle that was the school yard. Huffing his way to the grass he was stopped by Jason Freeman a kid big for his size but not too bright, not on the same level as Reese but still a threat willing to torment for no reason. "What?!" Malcolm turned around to see who grabbed his shoulder. "What do you want?" He asked with no concern for his safety. The Krellborns all watched in fear.

"Where wheels, Krellborn?" The bully taunted. Malcolm threw a look that sent him unwittingly over the edge Jason grabbed his shirt "Answer me?" "Where the cripple kid?"

Out of nowhere sprung Reese on top of Jasons back he had him in a choke hold. Kicking and trying to get him off Jason rolled on the ground. "Let go" he choked.

"Appologise" Reese demanded

"I'm I'm sorry" Jason choked. Reese released him. Malcolm looked shocked and turned away from Reese who stood waiting there for an adult to come take him to the principals, but no one came over.

After school on the walk home Reese and Malcolm went to get Dewey. Nether brother wanted to face each other but they had to. Malcolm was the first to speak "What was that about?"

"Me?!" Reese shouted "You left the Krelborn table, YOU LEFT YOUR AREA! Now your not even going to see Stevie."

"You, you, you don't talk about agggh." They finished the walk in silence. Dewey met them on the corner.

"Today at school Suzin and Tommie got caught in the bathroom… are you going to see Stevie today?"

"Would everyone stop about Stevie." Malcolm tearfully but not broken stated. His brothers pressed him no further.


	2. Chapter 2

CH.2

Malcolm went straight to his room that afternoon. Tomorrow was Friday at least and then maybe then he could look foreword to the weekend. After doing homework and basically laying around in his room Reese broke in. "Lets go Pansy."

_Reese was going to do this to him now with so much to do and Stevie in the hospital how very Reese._

"Malcolm," Reese ranted, "last year when Stevie had his operation it took you three days to get to the hospital, but you knew he was okay, THREE DAYS Malcolm and now, now you don't know because he hasn't called you and Kitty called Mom and…"

"Okay," Malcolm scorned, "I get it."

Dewey who had entered during Reese's rant spoke up "Why don't you like Stevie anymore?"

Malcolm looked surprised "Its not that I don't like Stevie, he just probably doesn't want me to see him like that hooked up to machines and stuff we don't talk about him being sick and lame and stuff." Malcolm knew Dewey knew he 'liked' Stevie still but he also knew they didn't know it was Malcolm's own phobia of hospitals and the awkwardness they created between Malcolm and Stevie.

_Why would Stevie want to see me he's sick he probably needs rest his moms probably there all day with him and what do we even do in the hospital_

The brothers dropped the subject Reese through a ball at Malcolm's head and left the room. Dewey stomped his foot and stated very bluntly, "You're a bad friend."

_A bad friend, a bad friend, ha, I'm the kind of man who considers my friend and what HE might want Stevie probably not even conscious_.

Malcolm opened a textbook, not that he was in a mood to study, he just wanted a distraction.

When he woke up it was Friday. The boys dressed and fought their way to the breakfast table like every other morning. At school, it was finally lunch. Lloyd was the first to speak to Malcolm, "Stevie wanted to know why you didn't come by yet."

Excitedly looking up Malcolm replied, "Oh uh, uh, so he's awake then."

"Yes, and when mother and I went by yesterday he wanted to know what happened to you."

"Well how is he? He can talk and everything right?" Malcolm tried to play it cool but he knew he was coming off as excitable.

_Unless he wrote it down or signed or used a typewriter he's only got the one lung anyway and Stevie not exactly a good speaker. _

"I was going to yesterday, but stuff came up." Malcolm stated plainly trying to save face.

_Wow I'm worried about looking sissy in front of other Krellborns._

"I'm a busy man." He ended the conversation and the bell rang.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Sunday rolled around as if Saturday had never come. Malcolm still hadn't gone to see Stevie, convincing himself all sorts of things.

Malcolm was in his room when Reese busted in "Isn't it about time you saw Stevie?" He angrily stated. "His mom called and he wants to see you."

Malcolm diverted his eyes, as he opened his mouth to make an excuse, Reese stopped him. "Don't even try to tell me some lame ass excuse. I get it your afraid of doctors."

"Reese I'm not afraid of doctors."

_What am I afraid of_

"Malcolm I used to be afraid of a lot of things, then I got bigger and I got 'Pain and Punisher.'" He held up his left and right fists.

"Reese! Would you just stop?! I'm not afraid of doctors. I'm not going to see Stevie because I don't want to see Stevie because..."

"Oh get off it Malcolm. Your best friend is in the hospital, he might die and your not going to see him do I look like I have a best friend I can go see, ever see any of my friends coming around to my house? You are lucky to have Stevie and your just going to put your feelings above his just because your what, scared well I'm sure Stevie is a lot more scared then you and his parents. Were going down I'm dragging you down there. For Stevie."

Malcolm looked in cold science at his brother; he stood up and exited the room.

Standing at the entrance to St. Joseph's Hospital for Children, he took a breath in

_For Stevie_


End file.
